FURTHER education colleges in Wales are losing a staggering 80,000 working days a year through staff sickness.

A report published today by Jeremy Colman, the Auditor General for Wales, says sickness absence is costing Wales' 25 colleges #9m a year in time lost and replacement staff.

In some cases, staff absence has caused such serious disruption for students that they have left their courses.

This has a knock-on effect, with colleges losing funding because of a reduction in student numbers.

According to the report, there is a pattern of higher absences on Mondays.

While the overall sickness rate compares favourably with other areas of the public sector, it remains higher than in the private sector.

The Auditor General claims FE colleges can lower their rates further by improving the way they manage sick leave policies.

According to Mr Colman, staff members at FE Colleges take an average 8.9 days off sick a year, while individual institutions have rates ranging from 4.8 days to 16 days.

The report found weaknesses in the way institutions implement and manage sickness absence policies. Fewer than 80% of sickness absence cases were correctly certified by staff.

Also, at the nine institutions which reported that they carry out return to work interviews for every absence, only 16% of staff reported actually having an interview following their most recent absence.

There was also widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of occupational health services provided. In some cases it took three months for staff to get an appointment.

The report points to weaknesses in the type of data institutions collect, resulting in colleges missing issues which should be tackled.

For example, the Wales Audit Office's own analysis showed that a third of one-day absences were on a Monday.

However, some examples of good practice were identified and, while the overall staff sickness rate in further education colleges in Wales is higher than the private sector (7.8 days), it is comparable with maintained schools in Wales and lower than other areas of the public sector, such as the National Assembly (where the level is 10.6 days).

The Auditor General calls on FE colleges to introduce improved sickness absence policies and procedures, with regular monitoring and target setting. He also recommends that Elwa identifies and promotes best practice across the sector.

Mr Colman said, "It is good that the level of sickness absence in further education in Wales is lower than other parts of the public sector.

"However, my report shows that there is scope for institutions to tighten up their management of sickness absence and so to reduce it further.

"Aside from the savings for the public purse through reductions in absence, implementation of my recommendations will also lead to more appropriate and sensitive treatment of staff; less disruption for students and help improve the quality of learning in further education in Wales."

The overall level of sickness absence in Wales' further education colleges is 8.9 days.

This is about the same as teachers in maintained schools in Wales, but lower than averages elsewhere: 10 days for the UK-wide civil service, 10.6 days for the Assembly, 12 days for local government in Wales and 15.6 days for the NHS in Wales.

Dr John Graystone, chief executive of fforwm, the body representing FE colleges, said, "fforwm welcomes the fact that staff sickness absence at FE Colleges compares favourably with other areas of the public sector, but we do recognise that there is room for improvement.

"Clearly the improvement in the number of students completing courses in FE colleges is an indication of the efforts already made to manage sickness absence across the sector.

"Colleges will wish to take careful note of the Auditor General's recommendations and fforwm will be pleased to work with Elwa in promoting best practice across the sector."